Empire's Sacred Rose
by Blodigealach
Summary: Koizumi Karin was a very fine woman, but she was still single although she was swarmed by boys. What exactly happened? Karin-centric.


Disclaimer: Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata  
Series: Eyeshield 21  
Parings: AchillesKarin, YamatoKarin, HeraKarin, TaKarin  
Note: it has been MONTHS since the last time I wrote a fanfic, so bear with my weird language.

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**Empire's Sacred Rose**

There was always a big question among Teikoku High School students: Why Karin, who was surrounded by hundreds of boys in American football club, still hasn't got a boyfriend? She was the only flower among the bees, yet she was still single. Some people guessed that she was going out with either Taka or Yamato, but the three of them denied that they have that sort of relationship. Asking to Achilles was useless, since everyone knew that he wanted to be Karin's boyfriend… though Heracles would always tell him to cut it off.

Some gossips said that some boys, either from American football club or from other clubs, had tried to ask her out. But what's the result? Only heaven knows what happened to those boys, the only thing everyone knew was that Karin is still single. People started to guess, what exactly happened until a cute and beautiful person like Karin still hasn't got any boyfriend. But well, maybe the answer is clear enough… because there's no rose that has no thorn.

And Karin was Teikoku Alexander's sacred rose, who was protected by the whole Empire.

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_[Achilles' Thorn]_

It was a day like another day. That afternoon, right after school, Koizumi Karin was about to go to American football club room when she saw an envelope inside her shoe locker. "A letter?" she whispered as she took that white envelope. There was only her name written on it, without any information about the sender. Curious, she opened that letter and read what's inside.

_Dear Koizumi-san,  
__There's something important I want to tell you. Please meet me at the gate this afternoon, 2 PM. I will be waiting until you come._

She read it twice to make sure that she didn't misread it. She had read it a thousand times in comic; it must be some kind of love letter. And like in those comics, if she comes to the gate, she will meet whoever wrote that letter, and then she'll receive a love confession. Imagining that, her face grew red. _'What should I do? I'm curious about who gave me this letter, but I also have a practice in the club!'_

While she was busy with her mind, Achilles happened to pass by. He was about to greet her happily when he saw what she was holding. Without even asking for permission, he grabbed that letter from her hand. "What's this, Karin?" he asked as he read the letter. Karin was a little bit shocked by the truth that Achilles was behind her.

"Ah… Achilles-senpai…" She didn't know what else to say. He did ask her about the letter, but she didn't think that she needed to explain about it, not when he had read it himself. He raised an eyebrow, forming a mixture of disgust and amazed expression. He was obviously thinking that whoever wrote that letter was a total idiot.

"Asking our sacred rose out for a cheap date… HA!! Forget it, Karin. Let's go to the club room," he said as he returned the letter to Karin. But she didn't think so. The sender said that he will be waiting until she come, so she thought that she couldn't just go away like that.

"Um, Achilles-senpai… well, can you tell Heracles-san that I may be late today? I… I don't think that I can really let this person to wait too long…" she said shyly. Achilles stared at her with somewhat flat expression, as he said 'seriously?' silently. He sighed and patted her shoulder gently.

"Okay, okay… You go to the club room, I'll talk to this guy," he said lightly as he walked away.

"But, Achilles-senpai…"

"Don't worry about me! Just go and train now!" he cut as he waved his hand. Karin stood still for a few seconds with a thought in her mind; _'Whom I worry about is not you, Achilles-senpai… Somehow I worry about the sender of this letter…'_

After she couldn't see Achilles anymore, she walked to the club room. What she didn't know was that her anxiety was right. Achilles scared off that poor guy, made him think that it's the best not to ask Karin out anymore. Of course Achilles was reproved afterwards for being late, but he had no regret. At least he managed to chase away one of his love rivals.

-----

_[Yamato's Thorn]_

It was a day like another day. That afternoon, Koizumi Karin was about to go to American football club room when a boy stopped him in the midway. She swore she had never seen that boy before. But judging from his expression, she guessed that he knew her. "Koizumi-san!!" he said, "would you like to go out with me now? I know a good cake parlor; you would love it very much!"

Once again, Karin had to decide between American football and a normal girl's life. She always wanted a normal life as a high school student. She would love to have a boyfriend, enjoying her youth as much as she could. It didn't mean that she didn't enjoy American football. She enjoyed it, though sometimes she felt obliged too. _'What should I do? I would like to go out sometimes, but I also have a practice in the club!'_

While she was busy with her mind, Yamato happened to pass by. He was about to greet her happily when he saw she was with a boy he didn't know. Assuming that he was Karin's friend, he decided to greet both of them. "Good afternoon, Karin! Is he your friend? My name's Yamato Takeru, nice to meet you!" he greeted as he offered a handshake to that boy. Both Karin and that boy looked surprised with his presence.

"Yamato-kun!" she exclaimed. She didn't know what else to say. It didn't matter if she tried to say anything anyway, because she knew that Yamato wouldn't really listen to anything she said. All she could do was letting Yamato and that boy had a little chat.

"Good afternoon, Yamato-san! Um… my name is Fumei Hito. I'd like to take Koizumi-san out for a while… may I?" he asked with all of his bravery. Karin was a little bit impressed by his bravery, but she knew that Yamato would absolutely say 'no'.

"Actually, if it's another day, I'll say 'yes'. But today Karin has a practice with us, so she can't go now. Well, actually she can't go any other day because we practice everyday! She is in the first string, so it's important for her to maintain her position," he answered with a wide smile. That boy looked disappointed with Yamato's answer, and he was about to speak again when suddenly Yamato patted his shoulder.

"But, hey, why don't you just join Teikoku Alexander? That way you can meet Karin everyday! Well, you may be unable to really ask her out too, unless you're in the first string. But if you practice hard everyday, I'm sure you can make it to the first string in no time! How is it?" he asked with a full spirit. But that boy looked more scared than excited when he heard that.

"Well… no, thank you… Um, I have to go now. Bye, Yamato-san, Koizumi-san. It was fun to meet you two," he replied nervously, before he quickly ran away from Karin and Yamato, leaving both of them silenced and confused with whatever happened before.

"What a shame… I thought it'll be good if we have more members! Ah, well, we already have a great number of players already, though. Anyway, Karin, let's go! We don't want Heracles scolds us, do you?" he said as he smiled at Karin. She nodded a little, and followed him to the club room. Since that day, that boy never showed up in front of Karin anymore.

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_[Heracles' Thorn]_

It was a day like another day. That afternoon, Koizumi Karin was about to go to American football club room when someone was calling her name and handing her a white roses bouquet. "Someone told me to give this to you," he said before he left right away. She was somehow confused, but she was happy to receive such a beautiful bouquet. She searched for any clue that could lead her to the sender, and she found a card in the bouquet.

_Dear Koizumi Karin,  
__I'd like to ask you out for a date at French restaurant Rêve Inconnu. I'll be waiting for you this evening, at 4 PM. I hope we can have a very good time together._

She read it twice, made sure that she didn't read it wrong. It was an invitation, might be for something more serious than just a mere dinner. She could feel that her face grew red. She somehow could imagine a nice and handsome gentleman waiting for her in an elegant French restaurant. But sadly, she also knew that she might not be able to come. She had a football practice that day, until late night. 'What should I do? I'd really love to go for a dinner, but I also have a practice in the club!'

While she was busy with her mind, Heracles happened to pass by. He was about to greet her happily when he saw a bouquet in her hand. Instead of greeting her properly, he snuck behind her back and patted her shoulder very gently. "You're busted, Karin~" he said in a comical-horror voice. She shrieked loud, too surprised with his sudden appearance behind her back. She could feel like her heart jumped out from her chest.

"Heracles-san!" she exclaimed. She was still holding her bouquet and card, and that took Heracles' attention. He heard from Achilles and Yamato about how Karin was popular among the boys in the school, and she sometimes received a date invitation. But he never imagined that someone would really give her a large bouquet of roses. It must be very expensive. And he believed that the card she was holding was a date invitation too.

"Karin, may I see that card?" he asked. After all, he was still a kind of man who asked for permission before he read someone else's letter. Karin took a single glance at her card, and thought why she shouldn't let Heracles read it. He had asked her politely, after all. So she handed him the card, letting him read the contents.

"Whoa, it's an invitation for a dinner in French restaurant! I envy you so much, Karin!" he exclaimed as he read the card. He handed her back the card, but with a thin smile he said, "But unfortunately, I can't let you have this one. We have a practice until 8 PM, and I doubt he'll wait until that late."

Karin sighed. She knew that it would happen. Achilles and Yamato said the exactly same thing like Heracles said, so it wasn't a surprise for her that Heracles said 'no' too. Seeing how Karin was somehow looked down, Heracles patted her shoulder and said, "Hey, don't be sad! How if we, the first string, go to a Yakiniku restaurant this Saturday? I know it's not French, but at least you can eat a lot of meat! It's good if you want to grow some muscles too, ha-ha! Now, let's go to the club! We have a training today!"

She just nodded silently and went with Heracles to the club room. At the next week, somehow a weird gossip which said that Karin loved Yakiniku much more than French food was spread in the school.

-----

_[Taka's Thorn]_

It was a day like another day. That afternoon, Koizumi Karin was about to go to American football club room when her cellphone suddenly rang. She wanted to answer it, but it was an unknown number, and she was too nervous to answer it. While she still couldn't decide what to do, Taka happened to pass by.

"Why don't you answer the phone, Karin?" he asked flatly as he lowered the book he read. Karin was a bit surprised by his presence, but she was more confused with what she should do with the phone.

"It's… it's an unknown number, I don't want to take any risk…" she answered nervously. He stared at her for a while before he closed his book and reached out his hand to her.

"May I?" he asked shortly, apparently offering her that he would answer the phone. She just handed him the phone which was still ringing loudly, and he quickly answered the phone, "Hello, good afternoon?"

The caller was silenced when he heard that it wasn't Karin who answered his phone. "Good afternoon, may I talk to Koizumi-san?" he asked politely. Taka took a single glance at Karin, who was looking at him anxiously. Taka thought that Karin was afraid that the caller was a stalker or sort, while Karin thought that Taka might say something that was too hard for the caller later on.

"Who are you, anyway?" Taka asked straightforwardly. The caller fell in silence once again, before he asked back, "You too, who are you? Why it's you who answer the phone, not Koizumi-san?"

"My name is Honjo Taka, Karin's teammate. I'm the one who answer your call because she's unwilling to speak with you," he answered flatly. Then he asked again, "Who are you?"

At the other end of the phone, the caller was sweat-dropped. He was told that he shouldn't ask Karin for a date because Achilles, Yamato, and Hera would stop him from going anywhere near Karin. But he never heard that Taka was involved too. He never thought that a stoic guy like Taka would take part in this protect-Koizumi-Karin game.

"Well, Honjo-san… as her teammates, would you mind if I ask her out for a date this afternoon, 3 PM?" he asked as polite as he could. Taka frowned when he heard what the caller's said. He glanced again at Karin, who was still looking at him anxiously. But he didn't even bother to ask her opinion about what she wanted; practicing or dating.

"She can't. Today we have a practice until late night," he answered flatly. The caller sighed. He had expected that kind of answer. He had heard it from his friends, about how Achilles, Yamato, and Heracles turned him down.

"Can I ask her another day?" he asked again. Taka frowned. That unknown guy sure was stubborn. It would be better if he just gave up. Taka was being Taka; he disliked talking too much. He thought it might be a good idea if he handed the phone to Yamato and let him convinced this unknown guy not to ask Karin for a date, but Yamato was in the club room so he had no choice but to convince him himself.

"No, you can't," he replied flatly.

"How can I make you say yes?" he asked, a little bit annoyed by the fact that he couldn't date Karin just because she was in the American football club. Taka sighed as he thought about anything that can get rid of that guy quickly.

"Come to American football field this afternoon, and compete with me in a catching battle. If you can catch a single pass from Karin, I'll let you date her for once," he answered. Yamato often said that to people who aren't satisfied enough with his judgment, so he thought maybe he could use it this time.

After a few seconds silence, the line was cut off by the caller, making Taka frowned again in confusion. "Here," he said as he handed back the cellphone to Karin, who was also confused with what was just happened.

"What happened?" she asked. Taka just quietly shrugged and opened his book.

"I don't know. Anyway, it's almost time for practice. Let's go," he replied flatly as he walked to the club room, still reading the novel, with Karin following him behind. But even though Taka gave that caller a challenge, he didn't show up that day. Even after days, the caller never showed up to fulfill Taka's challenge. That unknown guy remained mystery until the end.

And Karin remained single until God knows when.

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Footnotes:  
Fuumei Hito is a really bad pun; it means 'unknown person'. And Rêve Inconnu is just another bad pun; it means 'unknown dream'.


End file.
